NAB chooses McGrigor Donald as sole UK employment adviser

The appointment comes after the bank, which owns a range of operations including Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank, decided earlier this year to reduce its employment panel from several firms to just two.

Irish practice McCann Fitzgerald has been appointed to cover Northern Ireland as well as the Republic of Ireland. It is understood that a local firm was awarded the work because of unique religion-related employment law in Northern Ireland.

McGrigor Donald has a long-standing relationship with NAB through Clydesdale Bank. But employment partner Diane Nicol, who led the bid, says they were keen to expand the relationship.

The win is a coup for McGrigor Donald, which has a London office as well as operations in Scotland. It has recently been building up its employment practice.

Earlier this year, NAB, which has a market capitalisation of £14.8bn, embarked on a review of all its UK and European legal services, which is due to be completed by the end of the year (The Lawyer, 20 March).

Firms which have worked for the group in the past include Shepherd & Wedderburn, Dundas & Wilson, Tods Murray and the London office of Australian firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques – NAB’s regional general counsel for Europe, Nuncio D’Angelo, is a Mallesons partner on a two-year secondment.

NAB also has a long-standing relationship with Addleshaw Booth & Co through Yorkshire Bank. Results of the main panel review are expected by the end of this year.